Having always taught in Further and Higher Education, and after writing courses for several colleges at BTEC, Diploma and Degree level – in 2009 Annemarie opened The MTA.

Annemarie opened The MTA under an ethical training policy – ensuring that fees went directly towards the students training, as opposed to an expensive infrastructure, and with the guarantee that staff would be paid a decent hourly rate. The college was opened to provide students with a unique learning experience NOT for profit.

The MTA runs the UK’s 1st accelerated learning programme for Musical Theatre performers – so it runs over 2 years as opposed to the traditional 3. All staff at The MTA must still be working professionally at either West End or equivalent level. The MTA takes a maximum of 22 students a year thereby ensuring that the students are always individuals – never a number.

After just 3 years of being open The MTA was already challenging the more established colleges – winning the prestigious School of the Year Award in 2012 in The Stage 100 Awards. 100% of the inaugural year group had obtained agent representation and have since gone on to be successful ambassadors of the college and The MTA Way.

2017 sees it celebrating it’s 8th birthday and to date it still has a 100% success rate in getting ambassadors agent representation on leaving college, and at any one time a staggering 62% of the ambassadors are in work (or have contracts pending). Students from The MTA are now a regular feature of West End concerts and galas backing some of the biggest names in the West End (and Broadway) today including Rachel Tucker, Eden Espinosa, Shoshana Bean, Julie Atherton, Kathryn Jenkins, singing in theatres including The Palace, The Palladium, The Criterion, The Prince Edward, for writers including Scott Alan, Laurence Mark Wythe, Dougal Irvine, Craig Adams, singing on concept albums (Lift)…and so the list goes on. Visitors to the college have included Stephanie J Block, Jonathan Groff, Natalie Weiss, Georgia Stitt, Bobby Cronin, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk, Caroline Sheen, Ria Jones, Michael Jibson, Michael Xavier, Hadley Frasier, Rosie Ashe, Bonnie Langford, Kerry Ellis…and so that list goes on too